A Sizzling Romance
by theMymble
Summary: Tonks helps Remus clean Grimmauld Place, and one of them ends up half-naked and smoking. In Tonks' defense, she was never good at housework. Could this mishap spark the feelings that they've both been pushing away?
1. Chapter 1

A loud thunk and a chain of profanity announced the arrival of Tonks upstairs, and her all too frequent encounter with the umbrella stand. Molly's face took on a look of horror at the sound. already her hair was on end from the heat of numerous pots and pans simmering in the kitchen, and from her pushing it out of her face as she flicked, swooped and waved her wand incessantly to keep the cooking going smoothly. A rag was busy washing dishes and goblets in a sink of soapy water, unaided by any hands but Molly would periodically swish her wand at it wordlessly, emptying the dirty water and filling it again. On the table the bread was being buttered by a floating knife, and a bowl of salad was being tossed and shaken by some invisible force.

"Arthur!"

A faint thud was heard over the clanking and bubbling in the kitchen as Arthur raised his head out of the cupboard he was half immersed in, bumping it on the way up. He had been under there for at least an hour, attempting to fix a plumbing issue - by muggle means of course.

"Yes, dear?"

Molly pointed up the stairs, wooden spoon in hand. "Go and stop Tonks from coming down here, please! She'll want to help me, Merlin bless her, but that's the least I could do with right now!" Tonks was not renowned for her domestic magic. Molly had visions of pots of vegetables spilling onto the floor, smashed plates, and goodness knows what else. "Fred and George have already been driving me spare with their apparating. Send her in to help Remus in the sitting room, or something. Just not here!"

When Arthur intercepted Tonks, she was just beginning to descend the steps to the kitchen.

"Wotcher, Arthur! Just popping in for half an hour I'm afraid, got a night shift at the Ministry. Is Molly downstairs? I'll tell her I'm not stopping for dinner, give her a hand..."

"Oh no, no! Molly's got it all in hand, Tonks! To tell the truth it's a little busy down there right now...I'll tell Molly, shall I? Perhaps go and see Remus, he's cleaning up the sitting room."

When Tonks pushed open the heavy door to the sitting room, Remus did not immediately notice her. A number of rags were attached windows and cupboards around the room, rubbing polished circles into the dust. Remus half leaned against - half sat against the back of a rigid, ornate sofa in the centre of the room, his back to the door, head crooked down looking at something. His arms were folded across his torso and sticking out to the left side Tonks could see he was holding his wand, absentmindedly waving it in a circular motion to control the polishing.

He startled slightly at Tonks' greeting, but as he turned, he gave her a warm smile. "I didn't think we'd be seeing you tonight."

"Just popping in to say hello." She advanced the sofa and plonked herself down upon it. Remus leaned over the back of it, arms hanging next to her. His wand no longer held the rags up and they had dropped to the floor, and in his other hand was a book, one slender finger marking the page. Tonks plucked it out of his grasp.

"Poisonous Roots and Tubers by Ferriwick Cappt." She quirked her eyebrow up at him. "I didn't have you down as a herbology man."

"It's basically the only book in this place that isn't directly related to dark magic, or pureblood families, or inventive ways to keep your house elf in line, or -"

"Okay, I get it!" Tonks laughed. Remus hand been counted the various horrible subjects on his fingers and she shoved the book back into his hand to stop him. "This job that boring that you have to resort to the lesser of evils books to keep you occupied, then?

"Something like that," he grinned. "I did have Sirius for company for a while but then he went to feed Buckbeak. That was about an hour ago, and I'm starting to think he just didn't want to do the dusting. Am I mad?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he can. Who could bear to miss out on this?" Tonks jumped up. "You're being far too patient with it, though. I know a spell that could just get rid of the dust like that." She snapped her fingers as she said it, and Remus thought he noticed her hair - shoulder length and violet today - get momentarily brighter.

"Oh...I really don't mind doing it this way. It passes the time..." Tonks was already digging her wand out of her boot and Remus carried on his placation hurriedly. There was no doubting that Tonks was a powerful and skilful witch, but her domestic spells, quite frankly, were a danger to people's health.

"Don't be silly, just let me..." She back up a few paces, aimed her wand at the cupboard behind Remus and muttered a couple of words. There was bright white flash and whoosh of air that lifted Remus' hair and he stepped backwards as it whizzed past his body. There was silence as the light cleared, and Tonks' hand flew to cover her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Remus and he looked in shock down at his torso.

The silence was broken when Tonks could not hold in her laughter anymore. As much as she tried to stifle it, it bubbled up through her covered mouth and before long she was supporting herself on the arm of the sofa, clutching her stomach as she almost doubled over with giggles.

"I'm ...so - sorry..." She managed to sputter between laughs and gasps for air. Eventually she managed to master herself enough to stand and look at him properly. She wiped some stray tears from her eyes. "I really don't know how that happened."

Remus stared at her in amazement and shook his head, but the slight quirk at the side of his lips betrayed his amusement. He looked down at his jumper, pulling the fabric down as much as he could which wasn't very far, as it was now what could only be called a crop top. Threads of blue wool dangled like little tassels where they have been abruptly singed off and tendrils of smoke drifted up from it towards the ceiling.

"I think I'll stick to the rags in future." He smirked, stretching the jumper with difficulty over his exposed midriff.

Tonks bit her lip, to prevent more giggles from bursting forth. "I can fix it for you if you li-"

"I think I'll just go and put another one on. It was old anyway." He left the room quickly, before she could insist on performing another spell. Inspecting the surface of the cupboard where he had stood, Tonks saw that it now gleamed in the dim light of the room. Well, at least the spell had achieved what it had meant to...with a little added extra.

"A little less strength next time, maybe." Tonks said, swiping her fingertip across the shining wood. She caught a glance of the time on her watch and swore. Snatching leapt over the back of the sofa and snatched up her wand where she had dropped it in her fits of laughter. Running out the door and down the hallway, she stooped to pick up her bag and proceeded to the front door. Remus was just coming down the stairs again, rolling up the sleeves of a grey jumper this time.

"Off so soon?"

"Shift at the Ministry - I'll make it up to you, promise!" She grinned sheepishly before darting out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**It's sizzling romance because she burnt his jumper, geddit? … Sorry. **

**In this chapter, Tonks thinks about Remus' hair and stands in a queue. **

Two days later, Tonks found herself in a Muggle shop, faced with racks of clothes and no idea what to get. Since Diagon Alley wasn't known for their clothing - unless it was robes and pointed hats - she had apparated to east London after work in the hope of finding an appropriate replacement for the jumper she had destroyed, but was finding it more difficult than she expected.

Amusement had turned a little to embarrassment over the last couple of days. Being new to the order, and with Moody's recommendation, she was eager to prove herself just as reliable and skilled as everyone else. She was sure that she had proved her worth in fights, and obviously her ability to change appearance was an incredible benefit to the Order, but she continued to make these mistakes at Grimmauld place, tripping over and ending up flat on her face or...exploding people's clothes off. She especially kicked herself for letting it happen to Remus Lupin. While he was the one who would have been nicest about the incident (and he was characteristically lovely about it), he obviously was well respected in the Order. Having been a member during the first Wizarding War, the danger he put himself in for the cause, and magical ability he possessed, it was no wonder. Yes, it was definitely just respect for Remus that made her embarrassed at making so large a blunder in his presence and which was making her fret so much over what colour jumper to buy.

Tonks checked her watch. Seven minutes until she was supposed to be at Grimmauld place to go stake out a potential death eater hideaway with the man himself. Her eye caught a forest green sleeve poking out between the blues and browns. She plucked it off the railing and held it at arm's length. It was simple. Round neck, thick cotton, and a deep, earthy green. Tonks pictured Remus in it in her head, and she satisfied herself that it would look nice with his sandy coloured hair. Next, she held it up against herself. Remus was much taller than her, and as the jumper reached her mid-thigh, she thought that it must be long enough - and if it was slightly too short, well maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. The thought was in her head before she could stop it. Tonks had resolutely been trying to ignore the butterflies that flipped around in her stomach when she replayed the incident in her head. So what if she had found her gaze falling to his exposed skin a few times? It was only natural for the eye to be drawn there after someone's jumper had been burned off. So what if the image kept popping into her head of the line of soft brown hair trailing his down his stomach, cut across by the white line of a scar?

Five minutes. She rushed to the checkout, which had gathered a long line in the time she had been deliberating, then ran to the closest alleyway she could find to apparate to headquarters. Almost falling off the top step in her hurry, she wrenched open the door, panting slightly. Remus and Molly were talking in the hallway and started forward to meet her.

"We were beginning to worry, dear! Is everything alright?"

"No problems, Molly!" she said, then addressed Remus. "Sorry, got held up. Ready to go?"

She threw the plastic bag containing the jumper into the nearest room - there was no time for that now - and they left to apparate to the hideaway.

As it turned out, Tonks did not have chance to mention the jumper. When they got to their position, they were occupied in watching the suspected house as Death Eaters came and went. Their suspicions were more than confirmed. Identifying them was difficult in the gloom of the night and this took most of their concentration as they sat concealed by the grass and scrub and a disillusionment charm. Eventually when it seemed there was no more to see, at around two o'clock in the morning, they left the spot - they had been there to observe, not to fight them. Before they parted, Remus insisted on being the one to write to Dumbledore and report to the order on what they had discovered and implored Tonks to go home and sleep. She did not protest, and she was so tired that she had quite forgotten the gift she had left at Grimmauld Place, and did not mention it before she turned to apparate.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon entering Grimmauld Place, Remus went down to the kitchen. There he found Sirius alone and nursing a glass of fire whiskey, the bottle stood nearby.

"Find anything?" He asked as Remus entered the kitchen.

"Definitely some kind of headquarters. Tons of them there tonight. Pettigrew included."

Sirius sneered. "Of course, he'd be there. Always trying to get in the inner circle, trying to seem more important than he is," he spat. Remus picked a glass from the cupboard, and brought it with a quill and parchment to the table. Sirius poured a generous helping of amber liquid into the glass. "I don't know how you can stand it. I'll kill him if I ever see him."

Remus began writing a note to Dumbledore describing the activities of the night. "The Order comes first Sirius. I don't like seeing him any more than you would, but the mission was to watch, not engage."

"I'd do it stealthily."

Remus blew out a breath in half-laughter. "I'm sure you would. Even so, there was nothing I could do on that front. Not tonight anyway." His brow furrowed as he spoke. He didn't like to say how hard it was to see Peter out there on missions. He tried as hard as possible to push out their connection from his head, and separate his personal feelings from Order business, but it was difficult to remove himself completely. When he saw Peter's face under those hoods, Remus felt hurt, and angry, and swells of grief would threaten to rise up to his throat and choke him. He was glad that Sirius could not come on these missions. If he did, there would be no restraining him, when he could barely restrain himself from running over to Peter and wrapping a hand around his throat. He took a large gulp of fire whiskey as he finished his note, casting an undecipherable spell upon the contents and rolling it up.

Sirius nodded towards a plastic bag on the corner of the table. "Note in there says it's for you."

Intrigued, Remus dragged the bag over to himself and delved inside it. He first pulled out a receipt for a Muggle shop. The price had been scribbled out and "For Remus x" was written. A hole had been punched by the pen at the end of the "x". Then he pulled out the soft material and held it up.

"It really brings out your eyes." Sirius smirked.

"It must be from Nymphadora. She shouldn't have gone to the trouble."

"Tonks? Is there something going on here that I've missed?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "No. She had an... accident, with one of my jumpers the other day. Let's just say I'd have been done for public indecency if I'd have gone out in that one again."

"Remus Lupin, indecent? I never thought I'd see the day."

Remus really had found the incident very funny. He had been expecting the spell to be a disaster, but he could never have predicted how much, and Nymphadora's reaction had only served to make it more ridiculous. There was only one regret that he had about it, and that wasn't his ruined jumper. Remus had intended to speak her tonight, but his apology to Tonks would have to wait until another time.

"You would have seen it if you hadn't skived off cleaning that afternoon. Is Buckbeak really better company than me?"

"Why ask questions you wouldn't want to know the answer to?" Sirius drained the rest of his glass and grinned at Remus. Then his face fell into a frown. He toyed with the glass, spinning it from palm to palm. "I hate that fucking room."

Remus waited silently for him to continue.

"And this one. This whole fucking house - I thought I'd never have to come back here."

"Harry will be here soon, Sirius. You've got that to look forward to." said Remus.

Sirius nodded, still looking at the glass. Then he took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face. "You have no idea how much pleasure it gives me to see Buckbeak pissing all over my Mother's room. "

He pushed back his chair and swiped the bottle from the table. He patted a hand on Remus' shoulder. "Night, Moony," he said as he walked past, and Remus watched him as he went up the stairs and out of sight, swaying slightly. He turned his attention back to the garment in his hands. She really shouldn't have bothered, but Remus smiled to himself anyway. It wasn't often he had brand new clothes, and Nymphadora had been very thoughtful. She, along with the Weasley kids, were a breath of fresh air into the Order and the house was always lively when they were around. He was glad of that, for Sirius' spirits, but also for his own. He and Tonks had become good friends over the past months, though they couldn't have been more different. Long nights of reconnaissance and watching quiet houses had helped this. He would tell her about his school days with Sirius and James, and his teaching at Hogwarts, and she would make him laugh with her various ridiculous morphed features and impressions of Mad-eye. When she fought alongside the Order, all her clumsiness seemed forgotten, and she felled Death Eaters with precision and a fierce gleam in her eyes.

And if he sometimes felt his heart beat a little faster when she grabbed his hand to apparate or if she flashed a grin at him across the table at Headquarters, well, that didn't necessarily mean anything. It couldn't mean anything.

Remus went up to bed before his thoughts ran away into the dangerous territory that he kept locked away in his brain.


	4. Chapter 4

At the next order meeting, Tonks found Remus in the sitting room. The room was now dust free and shining, and many order members were gathered there. Tonks made the rounds, saying hello to Dedalus Diggle and Kingsley Shacklebolt, who were both advising Mundungus Fletcher on how illegal his latest business venture was.

"They don't bite that much, and the Muggles will hardly feel it!" she heard as she passed by. She stopped to talk to Hermione and Ginny, including about the Holyhead Harpies performance in their Quidditch match last night, and Fred, George and Ron bellowed their hellos from across the room. By the window she spotted Remus, Sirius and Arthur talking quietly and made her way over.

"Evening, Tonks," said Arthur as she approached. Remus and Sirius turned their heads and greeted her as well. "How are you? Remus was just telling me about the house on Tuesday."

"Evening, not bad thanks, Arthur. Yeah, loads of them there was. Must have been some Death Eater meeting. Or maybe it was just some sadistic birthday party, bring-your-own-ominous-robe theme, who knows? I assume Dumbledore will be talking about it tonight?"

"That and getting Harry here. People aren't happy with this no contact rule, so the sooner we get him here the better." Remus said.

"That's so exciting! I can't wait to meet him." She noticed that Sirius was frowning and staring into his drink. She said to him as gently as possibly, "I'm sorry you can't go to fetch him, Sirius."

Sirius shrugged and fixed a superficial smile on his face. "At least he'll finally be safe here and not with those awful Muggles."

At that moment, Kingsley called Sirius over. Hagrid had arrived a few minutes ago with much commotion in the room, and apparently now was backing up Dung on the only-slightly-biting items topic. Kingsley and Dedalus did not want to be outnumbered in the debate.

"I'd better go and see how Molly is getting on," said Arthur as he excused himself and left the sitting room, leaving Remus and Tonks alone.

"Oh, good, you found it! I forgot to say the other night. What do you think?" asked Tonks, noticing that Remus was wearing the deep green jumper. She observed that she had made a good choice. The dark colour made his light hair and eyes stand out.

Remus smiled warmly at her, his blue-green eyes shining in the light. "Yes, Sirius found it. You really didn't have to Nymphadora...But thank you, I like it very much."

"I'll accept your thanks if you don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," she said reprovingly, crossing her arms. Remus held his hands up in supplication.

"It slipped out, sorry." He smiled, but then his face assumed a more serious air. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, then closed it again and frowned. He took her arm gently and drew her towards the window, further away from the nearest group of people. "I just wanted to apologise for the other day...I'm sorry you had to see that," he said quietly, barely meeting her eyes.

Tonks raised her eyebrows, uncomprehending. "I'm sorry Remus, I don't have the foggiest idea what you're talking about. See what?"

"The scars," he said. "I take care usually that people don't see them. I know they're quite horrible to look at, and I hope it doesn't put you off spending time with me."

Tonks was too shocked to reply. Whatever she had been expecting Remus to say, it had not been that. She did not know what to say. She wanted to pull him into a massive hug. She wanted to tell him not to be a bloody imbecile. However, the discomfort that was evident on his face, and the fact that they were surrounded by people made both of these options unsuitable. She was just about to open her mouth to put together something a little more tactful, when Molly bellowed down the hallway, "Food in the kitchen everybody!"

Remus threw Tonks a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes and excused himself. She remained in the sitting room for a few minutes after everyone had filed out, trying to think of how she was going to approach this conversation again. She was still in shock. The thought that he was worried about the fact she had seen his scars had not even crossed her mind. He had scars on his face and hands which she had seen, and she was fully aware of the process of werewolf transformations, so she was not surprised that he had them elsewhere at all. She shook off the image of the thin white line on his lower stomach, finishing Merlin-knows-where, and went downstairs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for all the re-uploading of this chapter, had some trouble with formatting :( **

**In this chapter Tonks is a woman of seduction, Remus tries not to choke on his pumpkin juice, and Mad-eye is a sex symbol?**

Molly had put a spread of food out on the kitchen counter. Sirius had already eaten half of the chicken legs and Molly was keeping a stern eye on him, ready to steer him towards the pumpkin pasties if he should approach again. Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were piling up their plates before being sent back upstairs. However much they protested, they were not allowed into official Order Meetings. Dodging people and chairs, of which the room was filled with both, Tonks filled her plate with roasted potatoes and salad. She approached Remus who was pouring a glass of pumpkin juice from a pitcher next to the mini sausage rolls. She was still unsure of what would come out of her mouth when she spoke to him, but this did not stop her tracks.

"You know," she said quietly, reaching past him and spearing a sausage roll on a wooden cocktail stick. She knew what was coming now. She twirled the sausage roll around, pointing it expressively at Remus. _Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it_. "Some people find scars quite attractive. Including me." She popped the sausage roll into her mouth, twirled on the spot and walked away to find a chair, cocktail stick in hand like a cigarette, long red hair swinging from side to side. It was done. There was no taking it back. Tonks would have been more embarrassed had she not pulled it off so well. Sitting down, she risked a glance at Remus from behind her hair. A pink tinge sat across his cheekbones and temples. He took a long gulp of pumpkin juice, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down deeply as he swallowed, then he shook his head as if to clear it of something as Dedalus came to talk to him. Dumbledore arrived soon after, and after helping himself to a pasty, began the meeting. In the last-minute scramble for seats, Remus ended up sat next to Tonks, and therefore her attention to Dumbledore was rapt and her eyes didn't leave him for a second.

Dumbledore related Tonks and Remus' observations of that week, as well as Hestia Jones' success in deciphering a code which the Death Eaters had been communicating with. McGonagall took over to tell everyone about new security measures in Hogsmeade, and Kingsley made a report of what had been going on in the Ministry. Finally, Dumbledore got to the matter everyone was waiting for; Harry. He reiterated his insistence that nobody contact him, at which Hagrid put his large hand on Sirius' arm, who looked about to jump up from his chair and then down Dumbledore's throat. Molly also frowned deeply at this. He related the details of the trial and eventually got to the matter of Harry's rescue. Tonks volunteered immediately, and the Guard was decided to be her, Hestia, Remus, Dedalus, Sturgis Podmore, Elphias Doge, Emmeline Vance, and Kingsley, with Mad-eye heading up the group. Tonks couldn't wait to be part of the Guard, especially considering she had devised the master plan to get the Dursleys out of the house. After hearing about them from the Harry's friends, McGonagall and Sirius, she thought an award for their lawn would be right up their street. She just wished she could see their faces when they reached the non-existent ceremony.

With the front and rear guard decided, and all details of the plan ironed out by Mad-eye, the meeting dispersed. Dumbledore left quickly, no doubt to attend to some mysterious business. People began milling about, getting more food, moving to other rooms or going home. Some were merry, excited at the prospect of the journey and meeting Harry, some were strategizing and others were using this time to vent their frustrations at not having Harry there sooner. The kids had joined at this point and were part of the venting. They had been dismayed at not being able to reply to Harry's letters for so long and in so awful a situation. Amongst the hubbub, Remus cleared his throat and leaned towards Tonks so that she could hear his words. She prayed that she hadn't made things worse.

"Well, now I know why you really spend so much time with Mad-eye."

He had surprised her yet again. She did not even try to stop the look of horror that gathered on her features. Looking at him imploringly, she said, "Oh Merlin, no! Please don't put things like that in my brain, he's like a ... grouchy Uncle to me."

The sincere alarm in her look made Remus laugh softly and Tonks was glad to see the twinkle of mischief back in his eyes. She laughed as well, glad that any awkwardness had been avoided. But she still felt it necessary to be candid with him. Before she could think too much about it, she grabbed his hand and looked at him seriously.

"Sincerely though, Remus, please don't ever feel the need apologise to me, or anyone for that matter, about your scars. They didn't even cross my mind." A slight lie perhaps, but she wasn't about to admit the nature in which they had entered her thoughts. "You're my friend, and nothing could put me off spending time with you. Besides, you don't know what I look like without all this." She waved her hand in reference to her face and hair, then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, looking about her to check no one was near. "I look like Snape's twin."

At this Remus laughed again, genuinely and warmly. He smiled at her gratefully, a beam that stretched wide and made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "As much as I don't believe that for a second, thank you."

The moment ended when a loud _crack!_ followed Fred and George apparating to their bedroom, and Molly's shriek and curses pierced the night. Tonks excused herself to go home, before Molly saw her giggles at Fred and George's tricks. Lying in bed, Tonks involuntarily replayed that pure, brilliant smile that had been given to her by Remus, and tried to ignore the fizzing sensation it caused in her stomach and chest. She shoved a pillow over her eyes and tried fruitlessly to sleep.

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**A/N: I wrote these chapters all at once and was going to end it here, but now I'm not sure. If you guys like it, I might be tempted to write a few more (with better proof-reading!) :) **


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